Latest Articles
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyType IV Pili Can Mediate Bacterial Motility within Epithelial CellsHost cell invasion can contribute to disease pathogenesis by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Previously, we showed that the type III secretion system (T3SS) of invasive P. aeruginosa strains modulates cell entry and subsequent escape from vacuolar trafficking to host lysosomes....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMicrosporidia Interact with Host Cell Mitochondria via Voltage-Dependent Anion Channels Using Sporoplasm Surface Protein 1Microsporidia are important opportunistic human pathogens in immune-suppressed individuals, such as those with HIV/AIDS and recipients of organ transplants. The sporoplasm is critical for establishing microsporidian infection. Despite the biological importance of this structure for transmission, there is limited information about its structure and composition that could be targeted for therapeutic intervention. Here, we identified a...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCombining Mutations That Inhibit Two Distinct Steps of the ATP Hydrolysis Cycle Restores Wild-Type Function in the Lipopolysaccharide Transporter and Shows that ATP Binding Triggers TransportGram-negative bacteria are naturally resistant to many antibiotics because their surface is covered by the glycolipid LPS. Newly synthesized LPS is transported across the cell envelope by the multiprotein Lpt machinery, which includes LptB2FGC, an unusual ABC transporter that extracts LPS from the inner membrane. Like in other ABC transporters, the LptB2FGC transport cycle is driven by the cyclical conformational...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHuman Cytomegalovirus US28 Ligand Binding Activity Is Required for Latency in CD34+ Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells and Humanized NSG MiceHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can establish latency following infection of CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), and reactivation from latency is a significant cause of viral disease and accelerated graft failure in bone marrow and solid-organ transplant patients. The precise molecular mechanisms of HCMV infection in HPCs are not well defined; however, select viral gene products are known to regulate aspects of latency...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPathogenic Escherichia coli Hijacks GTPase-Activated p21-Activated Kinase for Actin Pedestal FormationEnteropathogenic E. coli and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EPEC and EHEC, respectively) remain a significant global health problem. Both EPEC and EHEC initiate infection by attaching to cells in the host intestine, triggering the formation of actin-rich “pedestal” structures directly beneath the...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceAnaerobic Degradation of Non-Methane Alkanes by “Candidatus Methanoliparia” in Hydrocarbon Seeps of the Gulf of MexicoOil-rich sediments from the Gulf of Mexico were found to contain diverse alkane-degrading groups of archaea. The symbiotic, consortium-forming “Candidatus Argoarchaeum” and “Candidatus Syntrophoarchaeum” are likely responsible for the degradation of ethane and short-chain alkanes, with the help of sulfate-reducing bacteria. “Ca. Methanoliparia” occurs as single cells associated with oil droplets. These archaea...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMyeloid and CD4 T Cells Comprise the Latent Reservoir in Antiretroviral Therapy-Suppressed SIVmac251-Infected MacaquesThis study provides further evidence that the latent reservoir is comprised of both CD4+ T cells and myeloid cells. The data presented here suggest that CD4+ T cells and macrophages found throughout tissues in the body can contain replication-competent SIV and contribute to rebound of the virus after treatment interruption. Additionally, we have shown that monocytes in blood contain latent virus and, though not...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMolecular Basis and Ecological Relevance of Caulobacter Cell Filamentation in Freshwater HabitatsMany bacteria drastically change their cell size and morphology in response to changing environmental conditions. Here, we demonstrate that the freshwater bacterium Caulobacter crescentus and related species transform into filamentous cells in response to conditions that commonly occur in their natural habitat as a result of algal blooms during the warm summer months...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMetabolomics Analysis Identifies Sphingolipids as Key Signaling Moieties in Appressorium Morphogenesis and Function in Magnaporthe oryzaeOur untargeted analysis of metabolomics throughout the course of pathogenic development gave us an unprecedented high-resolution view of major shifts in metabolism that occur in the topmost fungal pathogen that infects rice, wheat, barley, and millet. Guided by these metabolic insights, we demonstrated their practical application by using two different small-molecule inhibitors of sphingolipid biosynthesis enzymes to successfully block...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionChitosan Films for Microfluidic Studies of Single Bacteria and Perspectives for Antibiotic Susceptibility TestingCurrent microfluidic techniques are powerful to study bacteria and determine their response to antibiotic treatment, but they are currently limited by their complex manipulation. Chitosan films are fully biocompatible and could thus be a viable replacement for existing commercial devices that currently use polylysine. Thus, the low cost of chitosan slides and their simple implementation make them highly versatile for research as well as...